john quincy adams versus andrew jackson. andrew jackson was accused of being an adulterer and bigamist because of a cork in the divorce proceedings of his wife, rachel from her first marriage. this something that was circulated around the whole country called the handbill was a pamphlet that was posted throughout the country, showing the coffins. these are the man andrew jackson had supposedly killed, either as a general or ordering the execution. so being caught a bigamist, an adulterer and murderer and having them spread around the country widely wasn't that unusual. we like to think the good old days in powdered weeks. politics have always been a nasty business and it's always been a sharp knife business in the very beginning of presidential politics. >> host: is the power of the presidency changed over 44 different president? >> guest: well, i started out in "don't know much about the american presidents" to look at the very, very basic question of why we have a president. 225 years ago we just celebrated the constitutio